Sermon from the First Wednesday in Lent

I preached this sermon at my former parish in Randallstown, MD. It was a pleasure returning back "home" and see family. Enjoy reading it. I consider this one of my most controversial sermons that I have ever preached emphasizing that it is okay to be angry at God but know God is always with us.

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14”

I’ve had it. You have despised me for the last time. I worked day in and day out taking care of everything you provided me with. I made sure my children, who you just took away from me, had everything they could possibly need in life. All my servants and workers were fed and well taken care of. I AM RIGHTEOUS. RIGHTEOUS I SAY!!!! Why have you abandoned me?

Well that is what I would have said if I was in Job’s position. Everything Job had is gone and now he is left with only his wife, who also lost everything she had, and the clothes on his back. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is gone--Social Status and possessions. My question is why doesn’t Job turn his back on God? Why didn’t Job get angry at God? One idea is that Job felt he was being tested or punished. As one author wrote, “In the Old Testament and in subsequent Jewish tradition, fidelity to God was proven in the midst of testing--whether by the direct action of God, through difficult circumstances, or by the direct activity of the devil.” At first, Job’s reaction is that he has offended God. "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21 NRS)

This will be the last time we will read in this book where Job has something nice to say about God. Throughout the book, Job’s anger grows while holds to the idea that he is righteous before God--that he has done nothing wrong to deserve this punishment. His friends will come to his aid but they will only hinder Job in his grieving and defense before God. We, the readers, know that Job is righteous in God’s eyes. It says it in the text. God says, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil." (Job 1:8 NRS) God does not see Job as a bad guy, as a man who deserves the wrath of God, of the YHWH, of the GREAT I AM. Job is just the unfortunate pawn in a great game of chess between God and the Ha-Satan, the adversary, the prosecutor. God has made a bet with the devil. Now will God win?

Job’s anger towards God will grow throughout the book and Job will even get to the point where he denies that God is even with him. Job 23: 2-9 says “Today also my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy despite my groaning. Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling! I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would learn what he would answer me, and understand what he would say to me. Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; but he would give heed to me. There an upright person could reason with him, and I should be acquitted forever by my judge. “If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him; on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him; I turn to the right, but I cannot see him.” Job feels abandoned. Job cannot turn to his friends or his possessions. He has nobody and not even God can fill that void for him.

This past summer I spent 13 weeks at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center doing CPE. I was assigned to Medical Intensive Care Unit along with the other heart floors in the hospital. On top of that, I had my normal duties in the trauma bay. Every single day I was confronted with families and my own self asking essentially the same question that Job is asking God, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” “Why did my son have to die?” “Why me?” “Why Alex? He was such a great brother.” I can remember many sleepless nights staying up with families who were in the same situation Job was in. Sometimes we need to ask why. Sometimes we need to demand, yell, scream at God and ask “Why me?” But after that, we need to remember its not “why do bad things happen to good people?” but rather “When bad things happen to good people...” This world can be a wonderful place and at other times can be a horrible and hurtful place. I can remember one trauma case where a 21 year old male decided to ride down a hill on his skateboard drunk with no helmet. I remember sitting in the room with the young man’s mother and sister when the doctor came in and told her the prognosis was not good. His mother broke down in tears and his sister nearly passed out. The whole time they kept saying “He is a good kid but just made a bad decision.” A few days later, his mother had to make the decision of whether or not to pull him off life support. His friends, only being in their 20’s, had to say goodbye to their friend. Grief like this should never happen to anyone. It was a heartbreaking case that I hope nobody has to ever face. A mother deciding the fate of her child, a sister having to say goodbye to her older brother, a father wishing he could have done something different. I learn this summer that bad things will always happen to good people. There is a great quote from the show M*A*S*H, "Look, all I know is what they taught me at command school. There are certain rules about a war and rule number one is young men die. And rule number two is doctors can't change rule number one." In the end, it is not so much as we need to know why bad things happen but rather we need to “when whatever happens to you, I will be there.”

Job lost everything and still gives God praise. But what if he didn’t? What if he would have said “You are a horrible, horrible God who cruses the righteous and rewards the wicked?” What would have happened? Yes God would have lost his bet with Satan but what would have happened to Job? Would God punish Job? What else could God do to Job? Job lost everything. Throughout the Hebrew bible, God tells us that God will reward the righteous and punish the wicked. We do not need to always sing praise to God. I cannot tell you how many times I sat in the trauma bay and watched as patients and family members would defend God. God does not need to be defended and God can take your anger. But what we must always remember is God is not the one doing the actions. God allows Ha-Satan to destroy Job self but never participates in the actual event. Ha-Satan still had the option to say no and walk away.

Tragedies will always happen to us. We will always have to make the hard decisions that we never thought we would have to make. But the key into making those decisions is knowing that God is always with us. When bad things happen, God will be there. That is what we need to say. That is what we need to think. Jesus even warns us of this. Jesus calls us to be on guard because even the evil of this world will take his life. Satan entered the heart of Judas to hand over Jesus to be crucified. But even in tragedies, good can come about. The tragedy of Jesus’ death on a cross lead to the victory over sin and death. The tragedies in our life can certainly have a good ending as long as we know we are not alone. We are not alone because God is always with us. There is no logic in tragedy or death but there is logic in the cross. By the cross, all things are possible because on that old rugged cross hung the salvation of the world. And the man who hung on that old rugged cross remains for us always as the CRUCIFIED and risen Lord. That is our faith and that is our prayer this evening. Dear Lord, please Abide with Us in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.